RA1: Risk Assessments Performed on Standing Investments Portfolio
Maximum Score
3 points
Input Method
Assessment Portal
Prefill
Eligible
Scoring method
Static
Validation
Other answer is manually validated
2026 Updates
None
Has the entity performed asset-level environmental and/or social risk assessments of its standing investments during the last three years?
Assessment Instructions
Intent: What is the purpose of this indicator?
This indicator identifies whether the entity has performed environmental and/or social risk assessments on its standing investments over the last three years. These assessments demonstrate an active commitment to sustainability management, help mitigate risks that could negatively impact returns, and support a forward-looking approach to portfolio development.
Input: How do I complete this indicator?
Select yes or no. If yes, select all applicable sub-options.
Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Benchmark Report. Participants should use this open text box to communicate on:
Risk exposure: Describe the methodology used to identify the main risks to which the entity is exposed, as identified above.
Level of implementation: Identify the parties included in the assessment, e.g., employees, business partners, suppliers, contractors and subcontractors, and other third parties, etc
Risk mitigation: Describe the actions taken to mitigate the identified risks. The description can refer to actions taken to:
Mitigate the cause of the identified risks (e.g., policies for CO2 reduction to reduce pollution, and thus minimizing exposure to carbon taxes);
Mitigate the effects of the identified risks (e.g., policies for protection of the central plant against flooding risk).
Follow-up procedure: Describe the procedure employed if the identified risks occur.
Percentage of portfolio covered: Portion of the portfolio by floor area for which risk assessments were performed during the last three years (i.e., the 2023, 2024, or 2025 reporting years). The numerator is the floor area of the assets for which the applicable technical building assessment was performed. The denominator is the total floor area of the portfolio as reported in R1. The percentage of portfolio covered must take into account the percentage of ownership at the asset level.
Terminology
Biodiversity and habitat
Issues related to wildlife, endangered species, ecosystem services, habitat management, and relevant topics. Biodiversity refers to the variety of all plant and animal species. Habitat refers to the natural environment in which these plant and animal species live and function.
Building safety and materials
Environmental issues with the potential to create or exacerbate risks to human safety. Examples of building safety topics include fire safety, structural safety, and electrical and gas safety during development. Building safety strategies can include, but are not limited to, having site inspections at key construction milestones, having a reporting system in place for recording building safety observations, and having designated personnel to oversee building safety compliance during development.
Climate change adaptation
Preparation for long-term change in climatic conditions or climate related events. Examples of climate change adaptation measures can include, but are not limited to: building flood defenses, xeriscaping and using tree species resistant to storms and fires, adapting building codes to extreme weather events.
Contaminated land
Land pollution which may require action to reduce risk to people or the environment. As an example, contamination can be assessed through a Phase I or II Environmental Site Assessment.
Energy efficiency
Refers to the works resulting in products or systems using less energy to provide the same consumer benefit.
Energy supply
Availability of conventional power (generated by the combustion of fuels: coal, natural gas, oil) or renewable energy (e.g. sun, wind, water, organic plant and waste material).
Flooding
Refers to a rising and overflowing of a body of water especially onto normally dry land often caused by heavy rain, flash flooding, or sea level rise.
Greenhouse gas emissions
GHGs refers to the seven gases listed in the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). They are expressed in CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
Health and well-being
“Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO). Health & well-being is impacted by genetics and individual behavior as well as environmental conditions. Particularly relevant to GRESB stakeholders are the social determinants of health, which are the “conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” These are the conditions that enable or discourage healthy living. This could include issues such as physical activity, healthy eating, equitable workplaces, maternity and paternity leave, access to healthcare, reduction in toxic exposures, etc.
Indoor environmental quality
Measures of indoor environmental quality including measures of air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, and lighting.
Natural hazards
Naturally occurring physical phenomena that have the potential to cause serious disruptions to the functioning of a community. Natural hazards can be geophysical, hydrological, climatological, meteorological, or biological. Examples include but are not limited to earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts.
Regulatory risks
Examples include, but are not limited to: mandatory energy/carbon disclosure schemes, changes in taxes e.g. carbon tax, extreme volatility in energy prices due to regulation, zoning.
Resilience to catastrophe/disaster
Preparedness of the built environment towards existing and future threats of natural disaster (e.g., the ability to absorb disturbances such as increased precipitation or flooding while maintaining its structure). This can be achieved by management policies, informational technologies, educating tenants, communities, suppliers and physical measures at the asset level.
Risk assessment
Careful examination of the factors that could potentially adversely impact the value or longevity of a real estate asset. The results of the assessment assist in identifying measures that have to be implemented in order to prevent and mitigate the risks.
Socio-economic risks
Impact on social well-being, livelihoods and prosperity of local communities and individuals. Examples include: economic/political instability, social housing, vulnerability to pandemics and epidemics, crime and vandalism, and the displacement of people.
Transportation risks
Risks associated with transportation around the location of a building in relation to pedestrian, bicycle and mass-transit networks, in context of the existing infrastructure and amenities in the surrounding area.
Waste management
Issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation, reuse, recycling, composting, recovery, incineration, landfill and on-site storage.
Water efficiency
Refers to the conservative use of water resources through water-saving technologies to reduce consumption.
Water supply
Provision of surface water, groundwater, rainwater collected directly or stored by the entity, waste water from another organization, municipal water supplies or other water utilities, usually via a system of pumps and pipes.
Validation: What evidence is required?
No evidence required. Only the 'Other' answer is manually validated.
Other Answers
Other issue: State the other risk factor assessed. It is possible to report multiple other answers. If multiple other answers are acceptable, only one will be counted towards scoring.
Other standard: State the other alignment standard.
Scoring
Scoring: How does GRESB score this indicator?
The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.
Percentage number: The coverage percentage reported is used as a multiplier to determine the assigned score.
Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:
Accepted
1/1
Not Accepted
0
Duplicate
0
Open text box: The open text box is not scored and is for reporting purposes only.
Get Support: Solution Providers
GRESB Solution Providers are independent, third-party organizations within the GRESB Partner network that offer specialized products, tools, and services to support sustainability performance outside the GRESB Assessment process.
The organizations below deliver commercially available solutions designed to help drive improvement for this indicator. Engagement is managed directly between the reporting entity and the Solution Provider.
GRESB will continue to update this section as the GRESB Solution Provider network grows. Please check back regularly to find GRESB Solution Providers who can support your sustainability performance.
References
ISO 31000:2009
World Economic Forum, Global Risks Report, 2017
Environment Agency, Groundwater protection: Principles and practice, 2013
SASB-Real Estate Owners, Developers & Investment Trusts (March 2016): IF0402-05; IF0402-09; IF0402-14
EPRA Best Practices Recommendations on Sustainability Reporting, 3rd version, September 2017: 5.8, H&S-Comp asset health and safety compliance
RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2017: 3.2.2 Risk Correlation
World Health Organization
Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures June 2017: Strategy A&B; Risk Management A&B
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